Sugared Cranberries Recipe (2024)

I loved the idea of these and when I made them on first taste I also liked the pop but found I agreed with some previous posters about tartness, clumping, and a flavor that was a bit too simple for me. BUT few tweaks and this recipe is now definitely in my holiday repertoire. I will share since it might help some of the other posters:After making the syrup per directions, I added a few grates of orange zest and two cloves to the syrup for flavoring. The added spices warmed up the tart/sweet and added some complexity. If I had a vanilla bean I probably would have added that too.I found with larger, farm-fresh berries the sugar never made it deep enough into the berry and the tartness overpowered everything. To remedy, I pricked them a few times with a toothpick (about 4 times per berry) before adding to the syrup and soaked, lightly covered, for a full 24-36 hours. To make sure the berries were submerged I used a canning lid to weigh them down but otherwise did not cover the dish. The result was the syrup thickened and found its way into the berry, so the berries remained crunchy but the sweetness was more distributed. Also, the orange and clove flavor melded inside and the outside, after drying, formed a shell that the previous recipe didn't have. The result was closer to a candy.To handle the clumping issue, I blotted the berries with a paper towel, very lightly, before rolling them. This was a recommendation from a recipe from another site. I also only used regular sugar and rolled them one or two at a time. The result wasa perfect crystal dusting that dried with the syrupto form a pretty, crunchy candy shell.The syrup with the cranberry, orange and clove flavor is a keeper! A spoonful was a lovely addition to my morning coffee, and mixing 1 part syrup to 1 part butter, adding a dash of cinnamon and drizzling over slices of baked sweet potatoes makes candied yams!I haven't tried to transport these yet, but my guess is the shell is fragile. I will likely put in a jar and fill with tissue paper before transporting in hopes of keeping everything in place. 5 stars for a great idea!

These are fabulous! I ground sugar in a blender and it worked great. I also let them dry for hours before putting in an airtight container. A huge hit. The syrup was lovely in sparkling wine with a couple of berries for garnish.

These turned out perfect. Everyone loved them. Will make again .

Admittedly I did not follow the prep time on these cranberries (not on purpose, just forgot to do it the night before) and I'm sure they would taste even better if you actually follow this recipe, BUT I did love these little treats. I dunked my cranberries in the syrup mixture and let marinate at room temp for only about 15 minutes, then I used a slotted spoon to remove the cranberries and spread them out on a parchment lined sheet. I then sprinkled with sparkled sprinkles and let air dry for about 20 minutes. While still a bit tacky when I packaged as a part of my homemade goodie bags for the holidays, I tried a few to make sure I wasn't giving away something that didn't taste good. The result: loved the tang with the sugar so who cares if they are a little messy when they taste that good? I will definitely make again (this time hopefully remembering to prep correctly and I'm sure they will be just as good if not better). Enjoy!

These were great and easy. I added orange rind which enhanced the flavor.

The cranberries I get are in a bag, hard like little marbles. I found the best thing to do was to blanch them in the sugar-water-spices mixture. I used regular sugar with no problem. Put the sugar in a sealable plastic bag and spoon drained berries in a couple of spoonfuls at a time and shake. The cranberries need to be wet and sticky for the sugar to adhere. The trick is to let them sit out to dry thoroughly. Also, when your coating sugar begins to clump, just dump it into the sugar-water mixture. You can use it for another batch. I nuked my second batch in left-over sugar water and they turned out fine. They are great as an ice-cream topper and on hot and cold cereal or just as a snack.

I was careful to not boil the water more than a simmer as the recipe states but my cranberries still popped. Very misleading and disappointing.

These are very pretty and easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly and wound up with good results - no issues with the sugar falling off or the cranberries clumping together. A couple of issues that prevent this from being a 5 star review: 1. More than one person said "These are very pretty, but they're basically just cranberries and sugar" and they're right. People thought they were pretty good but it seemed like they were hoping for a bit more than just sweet cranberries. Perhaps adding orange zest to the sugar like others have suggested would help? 2. When putting these out at a party, folks didn't seem to know what to do with them. They didn't seem to realize that they're meant as finger food to just snack on. I saw far more people grab a few and pop them in their drink as some sort of garnish as I did actually just straight up eat them.

Fantastic! And the steeping liquid made a beautiful simple syrup for co*cktails.

I had some fresh cranberries and needed something to make with them. I came across this recipe and decided to try it. It is so easy to make, and the berries are really delicious!! I will be serving them as a snack on Thanksgiving!

These berries are fabulous! My experience was a little different than written in the recipe. After I rolled the cranberries in the superfine sugar, I let them sit for a few hours to dry. However, when I put them in a bag to refrigerate, the sugar came off and would not stick when served. After several days, I served them on Christmas day and again today for brunch and the sugar dried immediately when exposed to the air. Don't know what changed. Perhaps the moisture in the cranberries dissipated over time?!

Wonderful! I added orange zest to my sugar before I put it in the food processor. I then laid it out to dry, Once the cranberries were ready to go, I broke up any big pieces of the sugar. The infused sugar with orange really made these pop.

I made this last Christmas per recipe. They are a HIT with children as well as adults. I like the previous reviewers suggestion of pairing with Blue Cheese for my appetizer tray. Sugared Cranberries are definitely a new Christmas Eve tradition.

Wow! So easy! So elegant! The only problem is getting these to last long enough to take to the party! Will make again & again for the Holidays.

They were super easy and the result was amazing. I took them to book club and everyone kept telling me how addictive they were. when I made them I soaked them overnight and also while I went to work (a total of about 16hrs) and they were still very crisp and sweet. Also after rolling them in the superfine sugar (I put the granulated in the food processor until superfine) I let them sit for about an hour to dry. They traveled great and did not get lumpy.

i made these last year and my family LOVED them! i am making them again this year. a new tradtion is born!

If you like the back and forth between tart and sweet, this is fabulous! Have been making it on demand from family and friends since 2003. Some think is not the holiday if I don't bring them. Pair beautifully with blue cheese. Is important to wash and sort the cranberries while the sugar and water come to a simmer. There are almost always a few soft cranberries and you need to dump them. It took me a few tries to find the best way to roll the cranberries in the sugar. ( I use regular sugar that I put in the food processor for 1 min.) Let them dry before traveling with them. Is humid here, but have successfully mailed them. These really are a love them or hate them recipe.

Absolutely delicious. I made these for Christmas to put in my coworkers cookie trays and they were a hit. A great little bite, as well, and super easy to make. Will definitely be keeping this recipe!

Addictive!

These are great - they provide a satisfying pop in your mouth and then the taste delivers without being too sweet (or tart). I make them every year as a side to my cookie platter gifts (for office co-workers), and they add a nice touch.

I loved this...it was a huge hit this Christmas!! It was so simple, and so elegant...I double the recipe, added them to my cookie/candy give away plates, got rave reviews!!

Made these for the first time. Was careful to simmer the sugar water enough but not enough to pop the cranberries. Was disappointed that the bitter cranberry taste still came through. Was expecting a sweeter final product. They do look lovely, though, in a candy dish for Christmas.

easy - and a great gift

These are wonderful!! I've been making them for a few years now. I don't review recipes very often but there are a few things to note if you're going to attempt this recipe. First, superfine sugar can be difficult to find but don't attempt to sub regular or powdered sugar. Trust me on this one. I suppose you could grind up regular sugar in a blender, as the recipe suggests though. Second, make sure that the sugar-water gets just about to the simmering point, then pull it off of the heat right away. You want it to be sticky but not so hot that the berries pop. If you don't heat the sugar-water until the simmering point, it may not adhere to the berries as well. Third, I have never been able to store these in an airtight container like the recipe states to do. This always causes the sugar to melt and the berries become a sticky mess. I've always left mine in an open candy dish and they last for about 5 days or so, (if not eaten by then!). I highly suggest trying this recipe - just beware of these few points and they should turn out great!

I LOVE these! They are beautiful, easy to make, and they taste great. They get crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The perfect way to eat a cranberry.

So delicious and I am putting them in little mason jars for presents. Do recommend fine sugar.

Fantastic! Brought these to a party and they were an instant hit. Served with a brie round - very nice pairing. Got many requests for the recipe. Lasted about three days before starting to turn. Very easy to make!! Would definitely make again.

The cranberries pair very well with cheese. We served them with a Delice de Bourgogne, but any brie-like moldy soft cheese should work great. Make sure to really give the sugar syrup a chance to cool down a little after boiling - otherwise the cranberries will pop.

I live on Cape Cod - Cranberry country, so decided to try these. Served them at a Christmas party with candied nuts. Also added them to Champagne to add color and sparkle. They pop in your mouth. I will definitely make again.

Tried these for the first time tonight and they are FABULOUS! I can't wait to make more.

Love these--made them several times last year and my family is asking for them again. I've also added orange juice concentrate to the syrup for a citrus touch

I love the ways these pop in your mouth! I couldn't find superfine sugar so I tried putting regular sugar in a food processor--not sure if that really made a difference. They are not as pretty as the ones in the photo, but they taste good. Mine lasted on a plate, uncovered, for about 5 days, and I live in a humid climate.

These were fabulous! After I tried them, I barely had enough left to share! I did put small muffin cups full into the cookie tins I gave as gifts - they were bright and cheery and looked lovely, as well as a contrasting flavor. I let the berries stand for several hours to let the sugar dry - and I'm glad I did. I will be making these cranberries every chance I get!

These are easy to make and they look beautiful! I followed the exact directions and will use the cranberry syrup left over in a co*cktail tonight. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that not every berry is a hit. Some bites were a bit too tart or the berry had started to turn, leaving an unpleasant fermented, wine taste. Overall, I'll make them again!

I tripled the recipe and boy am I glad I did! I took them to a Christmas party this last weekend and they were a huge hit!!! We had to keep taking the container out of my (VERY health conscious) brothers hands because he loved them so much. Since I live in Houston and even at Christmas time it's humid, the sugar did end up going from crunchy to soft after I traveled with them. But it just didn't seem to matter to anyone. I was asked for the recipe by everyone there. Perfect combo of sweet and tart. WOW is all I can say. They are addicting and I found a new recipe that might get used all through the year!

These really don't travel well. Unless you're planning on using these at your own house, don't try this recipe. I took these to a friend's house, and the sugar was clumpy and sticky by the time I got there. Maybe it's best to let them dry overnight? Four stars because they looked just like the picture when they were fresh, and they're not too sweet - the perfect mix of tart and sweet. Minus a star for not lasting very long.

These were very easy to make and did work just as described. However, they do not come out looking as beautiful as the pictures - the sugar coating tends to clump. And unfortunately, they were still way too sour for anyone in our household. I really wanted to love these, but they ended up in the trash.